Halfway House Escapee Sentenced

November 8, 2007

WHEELING — A former Wheeling man who escaped from a Wheeling halfway house was sent back to federal prison Monday by U.S. District Judge Frederick Stamp Jr.

Ahmid Hinton, 32, was sentenced to 10 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised released, after he pleaded guilty Sept. 10 to escaping from the custody of Bannum RRC, 1070 Market St.

U.S. Attorney Sharon Potter said Hinton fled from the halfway house Aug. 19.

In January 2000, Hinton was sentenced to 115 months in prison on a crack cocaine charge and for retaliating against a witness by threatening to cause bodily injury to that witness for information given by them to law enforcement officers relating to the commission or possible commission of federal offenses, namely the distribution of controlled substances.

He arrived at Bannum on Aug. 10.

A former Bannum employee admitted last month she permitted Hinton to escape.

Marci Miller, 33, of Wheeling, pleaded guilty before Stamp to one count of permitting a prisoner to escape from the custody of Bannum, RRC of Wheeling on Aug. 19.

Miller admitted she allowed Hinton to leave Bannum to go to a local bar, which is against the rules of Bannum and against his terms of imprisonment.

She then contacted Hinton to advise him authorities were aware of his absence and told him to run rather than return.

Potter said Miller faces five years in prison and a $250,000 fine if she is convicted. She said the case was investigated by the U.S. Marshall Service and will be prosecuted by U.S. Assistant Attorney John Parr.